Non-transparent surveys deprive many from compensation against damaged houses in FATA

April 30, 2018

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A family from South Waziristan Agency claims that their 15 houses were damaged in the military operation in South Waziristan Agency, but the survey team only registered their two and a half houses for compensation due to which they remained deprived of due compensation.

Abdul Wadood, who was affected from military operations, said while talking to TNN that he ran from pillar to post for this right, but no one listened to him. He said he has differences with tribal elders included in the survey teams as they are not listening to him.

The Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) says the process of compensation to the affectees of Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, South and North Waziristan agencies is continuing for the last few years. It says over 52,000 damaged houses have been pointed out during various surveys so far and the owners of 36,000 (70 percent) have received compensation. However, several people like Abdul Wadood, take strong exception to the process and question transparency in the process.

Siddique Wazir, a resident of Miranshah, North Waziristan, says the survey in his area was not transparent as many deserving people were left out, while those who did not suffer any damage got compensation.

Rahim Afridi, a resident of Bara, Khyber Agency, says survey of houses in his area was conducted twice, but that was cancelled later on. He alleged that the latest survey in the area was totally non-transparent.

“After initial two surveys, we constructed our houses thinking that we have already been included in the survey. However, when they came back for another survey, they completely deleted some of the houses from survey, while listed some of the completely damaged houses as partially damaged houses,” Rahim Afridi told TNN.

Khan Zaman from Samana area of Orakzai Agency says there was clear favouritism in the survey of damaged houses in his area.

“The local people included in the survey teams not only gave undue benefit to their relatives, but also excluded some people from the list which whom they had personal differences,” he said.

The FDMA rejects all these allegations and insists that the whole process of payment of compensation to the affectees of operations was transparent.

The FDMA spokesman Attaur Rehman says there is no chance of corruption in the survey as the owners of damaged houses also accompany the survey teams. He says the survey completes only after the survey team takes a picture of the affectees with their damaged houses. He says fresh survey is conducted in any area only after public complaints.

The government pays Rs400,000 each to the owners of completely damaged houses, while the owners of partially damaged houses receive Rs160,000. Qasim Ali, a tribal elder from Kurram Agency, says he spent Rs3 million for reconstruction of his house damaged in military operation, while he received only Rs400,000 from the government.

Lawmaker from Kurram Agency Sajid Turi also says this amount is too low to construct houses and it should increase. He says the survey of damaged houses and distribution of compensation will complete by the end of 2019.

This story has been taken from TNN programme “Da Manzal Pa Lor”. TNN producers Shan Muhammad and Iftikhar Khan prepared this programme which was broadcast on five radio stations of FATA and KP.